Thursday, September 22, 2011

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Title: Shut Out
Author: Kody Keplinger
Published: September 5, 2011 by Poppy
Pages: 273/Hardcover
Source: bought


Summary: Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention. 

Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: she and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming. 



Review: Oh my gosh you guys Kody Keplinger is back! If you liked her first book, The Duff then you must read Shut Out. YOU MUST!


As with her first book Keplinger tackles some tough issues in Shut Out. The underlying message is clear and I think it will be very helpful to a lot of people. It shows that it's okay to talk about things like sex. You might think you're weird or different because of your different opinions on what's right to do and when to do it, but talking about these things is what helps people realize that EVERYONE is just that, different. 


Also like before, Keplinger manages to get this message across while also giving the reader a great story! I loved Lissa as the protagonist and the leader of the girls on strike. I could really see her transformation from the beginning of the book to the end. It's that transformation and change that really help me to connect with the characters.


I didn't really see that change with Cash, though, and I know why. All the girls talk about him being a flirt and a player but you never see it. You only see him wanting to be with Lissa (and I think it's pretty obvious so I don't see why everyone else doesn't notice). So since I never saw him as the flirt/player I didn't see him "transform" into a "nice guy". 


Randy was another character that didn't have a big transformation, but I'm almost positive that that was to show what a jerk he was, and boy was he. But again how could Lissa not realize this? When I read a book in first person (which this one is) I feel like I'm noticing the things that the main character/narrator is. So if I'm noticing that Randy is the biggest scumbag ever how is Lissa not? 


Along with a good message and great characters, Keplinger weaves in tons of humor and a pretty great romance. If you liked The Duff hen you'll like Shut Out. If you didn't then please please please give it a shot anyways. It's amazing, I promise! 


More Books by Kody Keplinger
The Duff

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i really enjoyed this book although some parts made me not want to read in public haha.....overall this book is a great choice if you want to read about romance in a different sort of way :D

France said...

What I loved about this book is the plot line. Ms. Keplinger did an amazing job capturing the teens voices when it comes to the issues at hand. I like that the characters, even the minor ones, played such a big role in the change that is coming. I like how the young ladies gathered together, made plans, and stuck to it. It showed how mature and smart they were.

The main character, Lissa is one tough smart cookie. I loved her willingness to help not only herself but others as well. I like that she is great leader and made excellent points. Cause when a man let things go to his head, you have to show them that you have options. That is what these girls do. They give them ultimatums. And this part just made me giddy and happy. Girl power!

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